HIWAN, Colo.—Jane Rah, of Torrance, Calif., finds herself in a familiar situation after the first round of the Rolex Girls Junior Championship. Last year at Hiwan Golf Club, Rah led after the first round of the Rolex Tournament of Champions by firing a 2-under-par 68.

“A lot of the girls were having problems with the way the greens break out there,” Rah said. “I remember all the breaks from playing here last year. The greens are small, so the hole locations can't help but be similar to the ones I remember from playing here before.”

Last year, Rah followed her 68 with a disappointing 79 and eventually finished 11th. This time around, Rah plans a different approach to the second round.

“After last year, I know I need to not think about my score and just have fun again,” Rah said. “I've learned that's what really works the best for me.”

Rah, who narrowly missed the cut at sectional qualifiers for the U.S. Women's Open Monday, discussed the difference between her strong round Wednesday and the way she played earlier this week.

“I really couldn't figure out what was going on Monday,” Rah said. “I completely lost any feel for my swing.”

In contrast with that round, Rah talked about the assets of her game as well as the characteristics of the course that contributed toward her low score.

“I was putting really consistently,” Rah said of her 27-putt round. “I love playing the fast greens they have here.”

Mina Harigae of Monterey, Calif., came in two strokes behind Rah with an even-par 70. Posting a 1-over-par 71, Allie White of Lancaster, Ohio, currently sits in the third spot. Rounding out the top five, Diane Kwon of Fremont, Calif., and Jaclyn Sweeney of Bradenton, Fla., carded 2-over-par 72s.

Rolex Watch USA, which is in its third decade of support, became the inaugural AJGA Premier Partner in 2004. Along with sponsoring the Rolex Girls Junior Championship, Rolex is also the title partner of the Rolex Tournament of Champions and the proprietors of the Rolex Junior All-America Teams.

The American Junior Golf Association is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to the overall growth and development of young men and women who aspire to earn college golf scholarships through competitive junior golf. The AJGA, the largest Association of its kind, has an annual junior membership (boys and girls ages 12-18) of approximately 5,000 junior golfers from 49 states and 30 foreign countries.

Titleist, the AJGA's National Sponsor, has been the catalyst and driving force behind the Association's success since 1989.

AJGA alumni have risen to the top of amateur, collegiate and professional golf. More than 160 former AJGA juniors currently play on the PGA and LPGA Tours and have compiled more than 300 wins. AJGA alumni include Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Jim Furyk, Stewart Cink, Davis Love III, Cristie Kerr, Pat Hurst, Paula Creamer, Brittany Lincicome, Morgan Pressel and Julieta Granada.

Thursday's second round begins at 7:30 a.m. at Hiwan Golf Club, and will be available in real-time through FootJoy Live Scoring.

The American Junior Golf Foundation is the primary recipient of all charitable giving to the AJGA and as such administers a variety of programs designed to compliment the AJGA and the members and families who make up our community. Learn more about these important programs and how your contributions to the Foundation secure the AJGA’s financial future for future generations to come.

The Achieving Competitive Excellence (ACE) Grant program provides financial assistance to junior golfers who wish to play in AJGA events. Its goal is to give top-flight golf opportunities to young golfers regardless of financial resources. This program helps to fulfill the AJGA’s mission of developing young men and women who aspire to earn college golf scholarships through competitive junior golf.

Leadership Links

What is Leadership Links?

Leadership Links is a new program whereby the AJGA is able to further its mission to help develop young men and women by teaching charitable giving skills and service-oriented practices at an early age. This program gives juniors all the tools necessary to donate their time, talent and resources to local charities and the AJGA youth development programs. Please click here to learn more about the program and the different opportunities available.

The American Junior Golf Association is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to the overall growth and
development of young men and women who aspire to earn college golf scholarships through competitive junior golf.